Truth's Difficulties
by Fire of Snow
Summary: For Kiba's latest training, he must save either Akamaru or Hinata. Although this is no ordinary training. One will die. The emotions are real. KibaHina some NaruSaku
1. I Must

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in this story. Please enjoy this chapter. Naruto/Sakura and Kiba/Hinata.

**Warning: **There will be some spoilers from the manga (but not enough to get you guys confused and lost) and character death.

**Chapter One**

**I Must**

Kiba sat on a bench, in the middle of a small, quiet park in Konoha with his eyes closed and his head tilted upward to soak in the sun that was beaming down on his face. On the top part of the back of the bench, were his arms, extending casually out away from his body. He was wearing a jet black leather jacket that was unzipped, revealing a murky grey t-shirt. His pants were slightly baggy and blackish brown, and had pockets similar of those from the army. Kiba's hair was dark brown, slightly longer than normal, straight and pretty messy looking and the tips of his hair would brush against his face like angels caressing his face gently with soft, gentle finger tips. Next to his feet, lay his loyal dog, Akamaru. Akamaru had grown over the years and was now about two yards long. He had his head resting on his front paws, was fast asleep, and was facing Kiba's left. Kiba was just about to fall asleep when he heard a voice.

"Kiba-kun? May I join you?" asked a sweet, kind voice. Kiba lifted his head up slowly off the back of the bench and saw that the voice belonged to Hinata. He placed his hands on his lap and smiled kindly.

"Sure." Hinata had grown her hair down to her waist and looked more like a young woman even though she and Kiba were both fifteen years old. Both Hinata and Kiba were now Chuunin and were no longer Genin. Hinata smiled warmly and in a graceful manner, she walked in front of Akamaru who was still sleeping and sat next to Kiba to his left. Kiba couldn't help but think to himself, in his mind, that Hinata was beautiful in everyway; from her smile, to the way she moved, she, herself was simply amazing. In the distance, Kiba could see a handful of little kids playing tag with each other on a small field of grass. He was instantly reminded of his days of his youth and when he first received Akamaru from his mother.

"It brings back memories..." Hinata's voice trailed off, most likely thinking of her own past as well. Kiba nodded in agreement. From the corner of his left eye, to his left, he could see Kurenai walking somewhat quickly towards them from the houses of the Hidden Leaf Village. Kiba turned his head and watched the Jonin instructor get closer to them. She stopped walking when she reached about four feet from Kiba and Hinata. No one said a word for a couple of heartbeats. Drowsily Akamaru lifted his head off his paws, sat up and watched Kurenai with curiosity forging his eyes. Kurenai had a stern expression on her face as she searched her students' eyes.

"Hinata, Tsunade wants to speak to you," Kurenai's voice was filled with a serious tone as she spoke. Obediently, Hinata got up off the bench, gave a quick half bow, glanced at Kiba and ran in a medium pace towards the Hokage's office. Kiba couldn't help but wonder, _"What does the Hokage want with Hinata-san? What does Kurenai-sensei want with me?" _The Hokage probably has a mission for Hinata; although Kiba wondered what kind of mission it was. Kurenai slowly walked and then sat next to Kiba where Hinata had sat before she left. He thought he caught a glimpse of grief in her eyes. Then something hit him. In realization, he remembered that a few weeks had passed since Asuma's death, and Asuma and Kurenai were very, very close, possibly dating. Kiba didn't want to think about what would happen if Akamaru, Hinata or Shino would share a similar fate. He didn't know exactly how Asuma died, but he did know that it was a fight and that Shikamaru, Ino and Choji had witnessed it.

"Kiba, I know you have feelings for Hinata." Kurenai spoke with tenderness and with a hint of anguish in her voice. Feelings of shock, anger and a little bit of jealousy overflowed him so suddenly that he could barely think. _"What?! How could she-?? Why would she think that?!" _Kurenai smiled slightly as she examined her pupil more carefully. He averted her gaze and watched Akamaru sniff his right front paw.

"I don't have feelings for her, except for team mate care! Why did you bring this up?! Why don't you ask Naruto? I'm sure he'll accept the fact that Hinata likes him!" Kiba felt agitated and overly jealous. Even after the two years, Hinata still had feelings for Naruto... She smiled at his reaction and stared at the little kids who were still playing their game of tag. The look on her face was distant.

"Because I want to test your metal ability. If you fail it, your mind won't develop right for dire situations, but if you pass, you'll be on a pretty high level of knowledge that is needed for certain combat situations. Are you interested?" This must be why she said she knew he had a crush on Hinata. Kiba knew that this could help him out and if he refused, he might be considered weak with care for his friends during combat.

"Yeah, I guess it's okay," Kiba replied in a thoughtful manner as he looked back at Kurenai. She nodded when her eyes met Kiba's. A serious expression almost overshadowed Kurenai's face for a moment. Kiba began to wonder what his former sensei was thinking.

"Don't worry; Kakashi-san's doing this to Naruto as well." Kurenai stood up and walked in front of both Akamaru and Kiba. She turned around with her eyes closed in concentration. All of a sudden, with no hesitation, she whipped her hands up from her side to make the hand signs for her illusionary technique. She opened her eyes while hypnotically staring into Kiba's. Kiba found himself standing up and before her knew it, he was face to face with Orochimaru and no longer Kurenai. Looking to his left and to his right, he noticed that Akamaru and Kurenai were no longer there. Then it hit him, Kurenai was Orochimaru. He looked back at the snake-like being. His right arm was spiraling around Hinata's body until his hand covered her mouth. Orochimaru clutched a long silver like sword in his left hand and was aiming it at Akamaru's neck. Akamaru was sinking in quick sand like substance while whining at an attempt to break free. So far, Akamaru's shoulders and head were free.

"Hinata, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted in furry. He grabbed his kunai instinctively from his right coat pocket. He felt his right hand, which was grasping the kunai, shake slightly.

"You can only save one of these two. If you take too much time, your dog will die. You cannot save both. This is quite boring so make a decision," spoke the Orochimaru type figure. Kiba relaxed a little as he remembered one important factor.

"This is just an illusion... It won't matter," Kiba stated, half hoping it was true. Orochimaru smirked, revealing his vampire like fangs.

"This is no illusion; one will die. Kurenai summoned me here with these two. These are their spirits, their minds, my mind. The emotions are real." Kiba looked from each of his team mates. He grunted in frustration as he began to wonder what he could possibly do. Suddenly, an idea hit him. The idea was crazy, but it to work. Kiba shook his head sadly for a moment.

"Sorry, Hinata... But I'd like to choose Akamaru." Kiba saw disappointment and fear fill Hinata's eyes. Hinata's eyes widened at Kiba's reply and let out a small cry that was muffled by Orochimaru's hand. Orochimaru snickered at the request. He lifted the sword up towards the sky and slowly drew Akamaru up out of the sand. Kiba thought Orochimaru was watching Akamaru. So he, without hesitation, lunged himself forward in the air to Hinata. Orochimaru snapped his head back like a whip and stared at Kiba, giving him a death glare. Then Orochimaru stuck out his head, so it grew about five feet in length, and smacked Kiba in the stomach so he wouldn't get to Hinata. Kiba flew backwards landing on his feet and slid back and few yards. He noticed that the bench behind him was gone and so was the park that he was once in. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Orochimaru slowly bring the sword back down so Akamaru would be in the quick sand again. The surrounding area looked like it was foggy and the ground was dark brown with no grass. _"Darn it!"_ Kiba thought as he looked from Akamaru to Orochimaru and then finally onto Hinata. He wasn't sure who he would pick, but he knew someone would die. "So let me get this straight, we are spirits and one of our souls will die?" Kiba asked in a heated tone.

"Something like that. Now choose because if you don't, they'll both die!" Orochimaru sounded really annoyed at Kiba's hesitant behavior. Kiba knew that if Hinata died, he would be angry with himself for letting this happen to his best friend. He didn't know if he could live without Hinata or Akamaru. Akamaru was his friend for as long as he could remember. Hinata was truly one of his best friends along with Shino. He took a deep breath as he recounted his decision.

"Kill me, not them!" Kiba cried. A mixture of emotions swelled in his heart. He wanted Hinata to be happy and alive because there is no life no worth living. Deep in his heart he realized that he truly cared for her even when he was too stubborn to admit it, even to himself. Kiba also realized, at that instant, that he could not ever live without Akamaru. Appearing eager to continue, Orochimaru licked his lips with a long serpent like tongue.

**I was planning on having chapter one be a little longer, but it seemed better with a cliff hanger. Also, I will be working on chapter two as soon as possible. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please review with feedback. I really want to improve on my skills. Thank you guys so much for reading. **

**Sincerely,**

**CatGirl R and S Fan**


	2. Hinata

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters but I do own the plot. KibaHina and some NaruSaku.

**Chapter 2**

**Hinata**

"If that's what you want-"

"Arf, arf!!" Akamaru's persistent barks interrupted Orochimaru's reply. Kiba felt shocked when he translated Akamaru's barks into words in his mind.

"Akamaru... I don't want to see you or Hinata die," Kiba's voiced drifted off. He felt his eyes swelling up with tears as he spoke. "I love you," whispered Kiba under his breath. Akamaru whined reproachfully and then the dog grew bolder.

"Arf, arf, arf, ARF!" Akamaru barked and then growled at the end. Kiba could tell that his nin dog felt strongly about this. _"Akamaru..." _Kiba's tone of thought was quiet, deep in thought.

"Okay, are you sure? Because I..." Kiba's voice drifted off as he fixed his eyes on the determined big, white dog.

"Arf!" Akamaru barked once more but with and ecstatic tone. It reminded Kiba of when Akamaru as a puppy. Kiba closed his eyes and then nodded.

"I... I choose Hinata to live and Akamaru to die," Kiba said as he stared sharply into Orochimaru's eyes. His voice quivered slightly. The words Akamaru had spoken amazed and unnerved him. **"Go with Hinata, you love her. She will live longer than I will, Kiba. I want you to be happy. If she died and I lived, you would never be truly happy because no human girl could ever replace Hinata. Please Master Kiba." **Tears stung Kiba's eyes as he held Orochimaru's gaze. Kiba watched as Orochimaru lowered the sword to the ground, so it would sink Akamaru to the bottom of the quick sand. Blood pounded Kiba's head has he tried gripping the reality of losing the ones you love. Orochimaru unraveled his grip around Hinata and let her fall to the ground. She didn't hesitate to stand up as she ran over to Kiba, concern filled her eyes.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked as the fog to thicker to the point where he could barely breathe and see. After it got completely black and engulfing, he closed his eyes. After a couple moments, he opened his eyes slowly, unsure at first where he was. His head was on someone's lap and they had their arms wrapped around his shoulders. Once his focus got clearer, he sat up and noticed that it was dusk. The wind blew against his face like a tiny whip.

"Where's Akamaru?!" Kiba demanded in a feverous tone. Sweat beaded his forehead as he looked around the area for his friend. He looked to his right and that his head was resting on Kurenai's lap. Kurenai still had her left hand resting gently on his right shoulder.

"Don't worry, he's still alive," her voice was warm, affectionate and with pride showing in her eyes. "He's at your sister's house. Hinata's at Tsunade-sama's office and is currently in Sakura's care." Kurenai finished as she fixed a somewhat satisfied gaze on Kiba. Kiba almost asked why she was doing this but then he realized it. She wanted him to experience a loss of someone. There was a short moment of silence before Kiba started speaking again.

"Was that really Orochimaru, Akamaru and Hinata?" Kiba was pretty curious and yet nervous about the answers he was about to receive. With a stern look on her face, Kurenai watched her pupil.

"Yes and no," she hesitated before continuing her explanation, "I used my mind and technique to create the virtual image of Orochimaru-sama. I... brought Hinata's and Akamaru's minds into this situation. Akamaru isn't dead, only slightly traumatized." It took a few moments for him to realize what was going on. _"He isn't dead! Woo-hoo! Thank you!" _Kiba screamed on the top of his lungs in his head.

"Did you see the scene?" Kiba asked wearily and a little too harshly. She nodded; her face softening a bit. As he asked it, felt a bit regretful. Of course, Kurenai was Orochimaru and so she had to see the scenario that went on.

"Yes, I did. You did well and you passed. What did you learn?" Kurenai seemed slightly eager for his response. Kiba looked straight ahead to the area where the kids once were. Since it was getting darker out, he couldn't see farther than five to ten feet.

"I learned that in life, sacrifices have to be made. Ninjas die, I knew that, but everyone had to deal with those pains eventually." Kiba kept his voice solemn when he spoke. A smile crept onto Kurenai's face as she watched the half moon make its way slowly over the mountains and into clear view that shone beautifully between two tall oak trees. Kiba couldn't take it anymore. "What makes you think I like Hinata-san that way?!" He demanded in aggravation.

"The way you act. I have to go to your house to see Hana. You're welcome to join me," Kurenai offered as she got up off the bench and walked in a calm manner towards Konoha, to the east.

"Nah, I'm gonna go see the Hokage," Kiba said bitterly. He didn't want to show disrespect to the person who once mentored him so he lightened his tone a bit when he spoke. Kiba got up off the bench and followed Kurenai into town. He trusted Kurenai about Akamaru, but he wanted to make sure Hinata was okay because after all, she was his team mate. Or was she more than that? Kiba honestly wasn't sure anymore. During the battle he felt feelings for Hinata but he wasn't sure if that was actually love or something else. Love was hard to distinguish.

"Akamaru is alive, right??" Kiba shouted after Kurenai. She turned around and nodded encouragingly. Kurenai didn't mention Hinata that much so he felt quite concerned about Hinata. He decided to walk to the hospital instead of seeing Tsunade. He watched as Kurenai walked to the left of the Konoha square, towards his dwellings. As soon as she disappeared in the crowd, he walked to the left of the square towards the hospital. He stopped about ten yards from the hospital when he heard Sakura talking to Naruto. He knew that Naruto would kill him if he ruined Naruto's moment. Kiba swiftly walked behind some bushes and waited. Kiba decided it was best to not kneel, but instead, to stand. Besides, Kiba wanted to have a word with Sakura.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, that I didn't get Sasuke back," spoke a saddened Naruto as he looked at the ground in a guilty way. Sasuke must have been one of the other people that Kakashi-sensei had used for Naruto's training. Kiba could hear all their words perfectly because of his dog like hearing ability. Naruto liked Sakura more than a friend, it was evident.

"Naruto, it's not your fault. We both tried out best, but Sasuke didn't want to come back. He chose revenge and power over his friends." Sakura tried her best to remain strong and assure Naruto but she broke down in tears on the spot. Sakura didn't cover her face but just stood there and cried silently. Naruto walked over to her and gave her a nice comforting hug. Kiba felt stocked by almost all of what they did and said. He expected Sakura to yell at Naruto when she replied and receive that hug, but she didn't. She was being nice to Naruto. Kiba knew Sasuke went with Orochimaru, but he didn't know Sasuke chose power and revenge over his friends. Perhaps they were only talking about that training. Still, Kiba couldn't help but wonder. Sakura embraced Naruto's hug, leaned her head on his shoulder and let the tears slowly and freely fall from her eyes. Slowly letting go of Naruto, she wiped the tears from her eyes and her cheeks with her right hand's index finger. In an attempt to cover up her grief, Sakura smiled sincerely to Naruto. Now Kiba was curious, more then ever, to find out what went on in that dream but he knew it wasn't any of his business so he let the thought slide.

"Thank you... For being such a great friend," Sakura replied sincerely to the spiky and yellow haired ninja, but she seemed somewhat sad when she spoke. Giving a loving smile, Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Closing her eyes, Sakura smiled deeper, blushing slightly.

"Sakura, I-err-have to talk to Kakashi-sensei about that training method we went under," replied Naruto in a regretful tone. She looked a little disappointed after Naruto said that.

"Okay, goodnight, Naruto." Naruto began walking away from her.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan! You've always been a great friend through the whole Sasuke thing and I wanted to say thanks," spoke Naruto as he transported himself to another area. Kiba knew Sakura was much nicer to Naruto over the two years but he had no idea they were _this_ close. He now believed, more then ever, that the dream played a big part in their relationship. What did he care? He had to talk to Sakura. For a moment, Sakura watched the spot where Naruto once stood, smiled gently and then she looked at the moon above her head.

"Naruto..." whispered Sakura as she walked back towards the hospital leisurely. Kiba felt curious when Sakura wasn't wearing her nurse's uniform since she worked at the hospital. _"Maybe she's taking a day off or somethin'..." _Perhaps the reason why Sakura and Naruto were closer than before was because Sakura was probably the other person. Naruto probably chose Sakura like Kiba did to Hinata. Right before Sakura stepped on the steps that led to the hospital doors, Kiba ran out of the bushes to the pink haired girl.

"Sakura, how's Hinata?!" Kiba demanded. He felt his cheeks turn red when he realized he sounded like he loved Hinata and was worried about her. Sakura jumped a little and then she slowly turned around to face Kiba with about four feet separating them.

"Hinata's fine. She's just a little dazed but she'll be fine," Sakura replied. Kiba, also, had good eyes that could see in the dark. In many ways, he was like a dog himself.

"Can I see her?" Sakura looked a little hesitant at whether she should or not.

"I suppose, as long as you stay with me. You can only be in there as long as I am because visitor hours are over. I need to check her stability," Sakura said in a serious tone as she looked her friend over carefully.

"That should be enough time," agreed Kiba. Sakura turned around and walked up the steps to the doors. Kiba followed her and then stood next to her, on her right. Sakura placed her left hand on the clear glass of the door and reached for something in her right pocket. Slowly, Sakura, with her right hand, pulled out a light yellow key that shone like gold in the moon light and inserted it into the keyhole right below the metal handle on the right below the metal handle on the right door. In walked Sakura followed by Kiba. Sakura power walked down the hall, passed the front desk, and over to room number two-hundred ninety-six, which was the first door on the right. Kiba was half expecting to be jumped by the AMBU for trespassing, but they didn't. He followed Sakura as quickly as he could without running. The hall was to the left of the office, Kiba realized. He felt a little annoyed that there seemed to be no one in the hospital and that the lights were out. Sakura unlocked the door using the same key and stepped inside. She hurried over to a bed and sat down on a medium sized woodened chair that was right next to the bed. Kiba closed the door behind him and turned on the lights switch that was to the left of the door. The lights flickered on, almost blinding him for a second. His heart sank when he saw Hinata lying in the hospital bed. Hinata's arms were on top of the covers, next to her body. Her face was a bit pale, but not much worse than her normal face. She looked peaceful. Seeing Hinata's long raven colored purplish hair stream around her magnificently, strangely made his heart soften with affection. Kiba ran over to her on the side of the bed that was on the opposite side from Sakura and in an instinctive motion, he sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbed Hinata's left hand, with his left, and messaged it with his right hand. He looked up at a light blue round clock on the wall behind Sakura and it read eleven o' five at night. Sakura grabbed a clipboard, examined it and Hinata very carefully. She took a pencil in her right hand from the top of the clipboard and wrote some words down that Kiba was unsure of what they could be.

"Is she okay?" Kiba asked in a hushed tone.

**Chapter three will be up shortly as well. Again could you guys please review with criticism? I really want to improve my skills pretty badly. Thank you. I'm sorry about the second cliff hanger but again, it seemed to fit. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. **

**Sincerely,**

**CatGirl R and S Fan**


	3. Akamaru

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the characters, but I do own the plot. KibaHina and some NaruSaku.

**Side Note: **Blue Ten, I will try to get my stories up before you go to college, but I feel my time is running out. I apologize if they aren't up in time for you.

**Chapter 3**

**Akamaru**

Sakura slowly look up at Kiba, from her clipboard, with a soft smile on her lips.

"She'll be okay. You can stay with her as I check on some other patients," Sakura replied as she set the clip board and pencil on the stand that was next to the head of the bed. She stood up and walked in a swift motion out of the room. Kiba looked down at Hinata's figure and couldn't help but smile. He was glad she was going to be okay. Hinata slowly opened her eyes and looked into Kiba's eyes, almost immediately.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata looked around the room slightly for a moment before resting her eyes on Kiba.

"How do you feel?"

"I-I'm okay n-now, Kiba-kun," Hinata blushed slightly as she looked down at her hand which was currently in Kiba's. Kiba was still rubbing it until he realized Hinata noticed it. His whole face turned blood red and he let go of Hinata's hand quickly.

"Err, sorry 'bout that," Kiba laughed in a nervous manner as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment with his right hand. Hinata smiled at his reaction and looked at the clock on the wall.

"Aren't visitor hours o-over?" Hinata asked with curiosity in her voice. He put his hand down on the side of the bed and a more serious expression passed over his face.

"Yeah, but Sakura told me I could visit you while she's checking on the other patients." Kiba began to wonder if Hinata was truly okay. Why did Sakura seem a little suspicious? He was just probably being paranoid.

"They told me that I could spend the night here due to tiring myself in that dream the Hokage-sama told me about. Kiba-kun is Akamaru-kun okay? Are you okay?" There was a hint of worry in her voice as she looked Kiba over with caring eyes. Kiba didn't want to tell her a lot so she wouldn't worry, but for some reason he liked the attention from her. He tried his best to look confident so he gave a grin to show he was fine.

"I don't know if Akamaru is okay," admitted Kiba, "he's with my sister, Hana. Kurenai-sensei said he's okay... and I believe her." There was an uncertainty in his voice that he couldn't hide. Nodding slowly, thoughtfully, Hinata drifted her eyes onto his.

"Kiba-kun, are you okay?" Hinata's voice was small, almost like she was half expecting Kiba to yell at her. Feeling a little taken a back by the tone in Hinata's voice, Kiba knew that he wouldn't ever harm her, _ever_.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad you're okay though. I was afraid..." Kiba blushed like an apple again a second after he realized what he was about to say. He didn't like soft mushy talk, but he found it to be so easy to spill his heart to her.

Suddenly the door rattled a little and in stepped Sakura. She held the door open with her left hand and look at Kiba expectantly. Kiba looked up from Hinata and onto Sakura. Sighing, he knew his time with Hinata was too short, almost.

"Kiba you can stay with Hinata if you want. I told the security ninjas about you and they agreed to let you stay," Sakura announced. Inside, Kiba felt utmost joy, but he knew he couldn't stay. He looked down at Hinata, who was waiting, like Sakura, for him to say something.

"I would... but I want to visit Akamaru and see how he's doing." Kiba spoke with a serious air to his voice and yet a regretful one. Hinata nodded, excepting his words with pleasure gleaming in her eyes. Gently getting up off the bed, Kiba smiled at the clock that read eleven forty-five. In a brisk pace, he moved towards the door that Sakura stood under. Relief flowed through him when he found out Hinata was okay. Now his other concern was Akamaru, his faithful nin-dog.

Sakura continued to hold the door open so Kiba could walk out. Stopping in the door way, Kiba turned around and smiled reassuringly at Hinata. Hinata, genuinely, smiled in return and closed her eyes. After Kiba continued on his way, Sakura, with care, turned off the lights, closed and locked the door behind her and exited the room. Kiba continued walking, not stopping to wait for Sakura. Sakura ran up the hall to walk side by side Kiba. They walked passed the main office and to the front doors. Sakura gripped the keys, letting them clang together like wind chimes. He waited for Sakura to unlock the doors so he could walk out. Holding the door open for Sakura, Kiba walked a half step behind her. She stopped for a second to let Kiba catch up to her.

"You should ask her out," teased Sakura playfully, waiting for his yell.

"I don't have romantic feelings for her. She's my best friend... What makes you think I wouldn't care?!" Kiba cried out; she was the second person to bring it up and honestly he was sick of it.

"I know how you feel. Lighten up." Sakura's voice was softer now. He shoved his hands in his pockets and let out an aggravated sigh.

"If ya knew how I feel then why bring it up?!" Right away he wanted to take back his words. Sakura sighed as she looked over at Kiba. At the same instance, Kiba looked over at Sakura, regret felled his eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled in an uncomfortable tone. Sakura nodded as she looked a little distraught about something. In an attempt to lighten up the mood, Kiba spoke, "do you have feelings for Naruto?" It was then that he realized that that question didn't seem to help out the situation at all. Sakura turned slightly red and caught off guard.

"He's a good friend... I don't know... I have to go," Sakura replied in a slightly stressed manner as she quickly ran to her right, towards the woods. _"She does have feelings for Naruto after all." _Kiba continued looking straight ahead and at that moment, he realized he had walked almost all the way to his house where Hana and Akamaru were, without totally realizing it.

Under his breath he muttered, "Here I come boy." Feeling the anticipation, he ran with all his heart towards his home. Blood pounded in his ears as he reached the front door step. Gently, he extended his right hand to touch the door knob. While holding his breath, he closed his eyes for a second and carefully opened the door. Kiba opened his eyes to find Akamaru curled up in a small ball in front of the fire place and while facing it. The fireplace was burning faintly to the right of the room from where Kiba stood. In a gradual motion, Kiba stepped inside, closed the door and walked almost hypnotically towards Akamaru. He seemed to almost totally ignore all the surroundings of the room. The only thing Kiba was focused on was Akamaru. Kiba prayed with all his heart that the dog was truly okay and safe from harm. Once Kiba got within one foot of Akamaru, Kiba knelt down and examined the dog for a moment, deciding if he was alive or dead.

"Kiba, don't worry, he's fine," said a familiar loving voice. He snapped his head up and in the door way that led to the kitchen was his mother, Tsume. Without delay, his attention turned back to Akamaru. He placed his right hand on Akamaru's throat. To Kiba's relief, Akamaru was still breathing and was peaceful. Kiba wearily stood up and walked over to his mother. As he looked his mother right in her eyes, he stopped at about three feet in front of her.

"Kiba, do you want anything to eat?" Kiba shook his head and entered the kitchen. He glanced over at the table that was placed in the middle of the room and noticed Hana was sitting at the far end of the table. She was sipping something from a cup that was placed between her hands and was watching him carefully. Descending the stairs to his room, Kiba couldn't help but wonder what they thought of the whole situation. It wouldn't surprise him if Kurenai told them about the training and his personal life. When he entered his room, he walked over to his bed, that was lying next to the far right wall, and literally collapsed on it. Kiba didn't realize how tired he truly was until he got home. Almost instantaneously, he fell asleep.

A few hours later, Kiba blinked his eyes open and could see the light fill the whole room from his window. He was sprawled out on the bed, face down and then he pushed himself up. Slowly, he lifted his feet onto the ground and tried to stand up. He still had everything on, even his sandal type shoes. Suddenly Kiba walked down the stairs and without completely comprehending what he was doing, he walked through the kitchen towards the area where Akamaru slept.

Akamaru was sleeping in the same area as before. The nin dog lifted his head up and over his shoulder, he looked over at Kiba. Looking at Akamaru, he remembered Kurenai said she was coming here. _"She must've already left already."_

"Hey boy." Akamaru's tail began to wag happily. Happiness flowed in Kiba's heart. Walking on instinct toward Akamaru, Kiba began to kneel when he was within reach of the dog. Akamaru sat up and in a sudden movement, gave Kiba a big lick on his left cheek. Laughing a bit, Kiba wrapped his arms around Akamaru's shoulders and drew his dog slowly closer to him. Secretly, he wished moments like these appeared more often.

**This is the end of this story. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I wasn't sure if the ending where Kiba hugged Akamaru was completely in character or not, but it seemed to work. I'm sorry for holding off on the update. I'll try to be much more frequent than before. Before I forget, thank you guys so much for the reviews. They helped to inspire me to write more and write better. Again, thank you all :). **

**Sincerely,**

**CatGirl R and S Fan**


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